Vikas Sharma

I remember my first trip to Vancouver … and I remember Gastown.

For those of you who are familiar, it’s got a lot of black and white in one spot … not a lot of gray.

I’ve been through many times over the past 18 years to visit restaurants, walk through the colourful neighbourhood, and once, to bring coffee and treats to workers at a safe injection site for a charity work event.

Some favourite places in Gastown to visit are Alibi Room (amazing beer selection) and Chambar (previously reviewed, and up the street in Chinatown) – and I remember there was place in Blood Alley called Salt, that I went to after work for drinks with colleagues, which seems to still be there.

I think the most vivid memory was seeing some commotion at the bar at the Hildon Hotel, called The Bourbon. So, me being the inquisitive person that I am, I walked in and saw a Country & Western band performing to a dancefloor full of folks having a great time. I’d seen stuff like that in bars in Moss Park in Toronto, and being a voyeur in those instances was a lot of fun.

I never felt unsafe, just intrigued as how those, who we view as different, might not be that different after all.

Most people like to have a drink and have a good time; whatever your social standing.

Speaking of drinks and good times, my partner booked us for an early reso at Di Beppe. We arrived even earlier, and they kindly accommodated us. Living on the west coast has completely adjusted my internal clock – earlier to bed and earlier to rise. Not sure it’s making me any wiser, but hey …

I was intrigued by the little café in the front of the restaurant. Lots of little treats, pizzas, sandwiches and such … and a cute seating area.

The host sat us and reminded us that there were 15 minutes remaining for their Happy Hour. In haste, I ordered the Cinzano Rosso from the Happy Hour menu – and then later noticed how serious they are about vermouth. They had my favourite; Carpano Antica Formula, which is almost impossible to find in Ontario. I left it as I ordered, and my date had the prosecco, both of which hit the spot.

The décor was very 60/70’s inspired Italian hip café. Nice bench seating and cool art on the walls, as well, there was neat lighting that looked as if it were taken from street lights in Napoli in 1974 (see photos below).

My partner looked at me and said something along the lines of “Okay, here’s how it’s gonna go … ” and proceeded to tell me what we were having for dinner. She knows what I like in Italian cooking and suggested that we don’t stray so that we could ensure that the basics were accomplished.

We ordered a 1/2 L of the featured Barbara and went in for the kill.

Warm Olives – Arugula and Finocchio Salad – Spaghetti Pomodoro – Margherita Pizza (with Mozzarella di Bufula).

The olives were nice, served with cherry sun-dried tomatoes.

The salad was killer – prepared with a cilantro vinaigrette – something uncommon in an Italian joint. It was so good, that I ordered another one when our server, Peter, asked if we were ready for dessert.

The spaghetti tasted as if it were homemade and the sugo was just right. Tangy and savoury at the same time. Definitely the best sugo I’ve had since arriving here in Vancouver (besides my own).

The pizza was definitely a winner. There was a lot of analyzing of the pizza – it looked as if it could have been heavy because it didn’t look like a VPN pie – but it wasn’t heavy – to the contrary – and it had all of the right flavours. It reminded me of the focaccia-style pies that I’ve had between Roma and Toronto, but lighter. When we asked Peter about the pie, he said it was a Napolitano style pie made in a Roman-style brick oven. While that doesn’t explain extra bit of fluff on the dough, I need to note that I really enjoyed the crust. It was crispy and firm on the bottom, and definitely a step up from what we’ve had thus far in the best coast. The sugo was similar to the that on our pasta, but felt as if it were cooked down a bit more so that it didn’t soak the pie. All around winner.

The final course was Cannoli – I paired it with Nonino Amaro and my partner with an Espresso Macchiato.

The first thing I noticed about the cannoli was that the shell was fresh-made in-house. The filling was good, albeit a bit soft and runny. I prefer the filling to be a bit more firm and ricotta-y, if that’s a word. But the chocolate and orange were nice flavour profile additions.

I haven’t had a cannoli that fresh tasting since I was THE San Francesco restaurant and bakery in Palermo. The church on one side of the square, restaurant, bakery and café finishing the Piazza San Francesco di Assisi.

I was given word that the espresso had that typical Italian Robusta finish – a bit bitter/sour. But hey, they’re going for authenticity in this place.

A couple of point outs – I’ve noticed that the service is exceptional in Vancouver. Much better than Toronto service.

Second – in Italian joints it’s hard to get pepperoncini in oil.

What gives? Slice up some hot red chili peppers and let ’em soak in EVOO. Simple. Drop a bit on some spaghetti pomodoro and life is good.

But please, Vancouver, get some pepperoncini in oil. I just made some at home last week – maybe this’ll be one of my pastimes? Selling La Natura Fine Foods Pepperoncini? Ma, shoo (as my buddy Enzo would say).

Return: 100% Just thinking about what I’d have next time.

Rating: 8/10

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